Watering Organic Crops: An Artistry

 
Although organic farming is about being one with the environment, organic farmers should not depend solely on Mother Nature. Especially in the case of watering, they cannot depend on rain all the time. This is why watering the crops is also considered as a basic organic farming skill in order to have bountiful and healthy harvest in the end. But before mastering the artistry of watering, you should know first the type of your soil.

Know Your Soil
You should know how well your soil retains the water it gains. This will tell what type of soil you got in your farm. The basic classifications of soil are clay, sand and loam.
Clay soil has no enough air spaces that’s why the water find it hard to move inward, resulting to longer times in soaking water. Sandy soil is the exact opposite. The water can move faster through sandy soil. This is why water in it is quick to dry out.  Loam, on the other hand, is in the middle of clay and sand. The water moves not too fat or slow, and it dries out in a moderate rate.
But whatever the soil you have, one thing you must have is compost—this is the key in keeping water in your farm. It helps enhance any type of soil by working like a moisture-retaining wick. In fact, the more you add organic matter to your compost, the better your soil will hold water. But, even though this is the case, you should not prevent from watering more your farm. Keep this in mind: When you have high quantity of organic matter, the more you apply water. However, because the compost can make the soil hold water stronger, you may go longer between watering.
Now, the next question is: When can you say that your soil is water stress?

Water Stress Watch
Water stress means that your crops are underwater for a very long time. This is a problem because the leaves will be smaller than the usual than the normal size. Also, the sides of the leaves are brownish and their fruits and flowers will be late or, worse, they could drop from the crops.
The water stress can also make uneven produces. For example, there can be misshapen cucumbers, blossom-end rotten tomatoes, and tough fibered celery.
Now, when to know whether you have enough or too much water?

Recommended Water

You should always remember that moist soil is very important for seedling growth and seed germination. Thus, you should plant your young crops on cloudy day or, better still, during evenings. Don’t forget to water the seedlings when you plant them out.
Now, when you pass the stage of the seeds, your watering should vary from one crop to another. Here are some examples:
Sweet corn – It needs more supply of water especially when the tassels and silks are beginning to form.
Tomatoes squash and cucumbers – This group is always thirsty especially when they begin to flower and their fruits are starting to develop.
Muskmelons – They will taste better if you stop watering them 10 days before harvesting.